Lecture Notes – MATHS 102

Week 2
Fall 2022
By Prof. Sami Omar

1
5.5 The Substitution Rule
Introduction

I Because of the Fundamental Theorem, it is important to be able to find

antiderivatives.
I In the Substitution Method, we introduce a new variable to transform our integral
into a simpler one.
Substitution Rule

Here is the substitution rule:

The Substitution Rule
If u = g (x) is a differentiable function and f (x) a continuous function, then
Z Z
0
f (g (x))g (x)dx = f (u)du

Note. The substitution

R method0 works whenever we have an integral which can be
written in the form f (g (x))g (x)dx.
Example 1, p.413
Example
x 3 cos(x 4 + 2)dx
R
Find
Example 1, p.413
Example
x 3 cos(x 4 + 2)dx
R
Find
Solution. We make the substitution

u = x4 + 2

because u is differential and du = 4x 3 dx appears in the integral (except the constant

factor 4 which can be neglected). Using this, we can write x 3 dx = 14 du. Now using the
Substitution Rule, we have
Z Z Z
3 4 1 1
x cos(x + 2)dx = cos(u) du = cos(u)du
4 4
1 1
= sin(u) + C = sin(x 4 + 2) + C
4 4
Notice that at the final stage we rewrote u in terms of x.
Example 4, p.415
Example
e 5x dx.
R
Evaluate
Example 4, p.415

Example
e 5x dx.
R
Evaluate
Solution. We use the substitution
1
u = 5x, du = 5dx (or dx = du)
5
By the Substitution Rule, we have
Z Z Z
5x 1 u 1 1 1
e dx = e du = e u du = e u + C = e 5x + C
5 5 5 5
Example 6, p.415
Example
R
Evaluate tan xdx.
Example 6, p.415
Example
R
Evaluate tan xdx.
R R sin x
Solution. We first rewrite tan xdx as cos x dx and then use the substitution
u = cos x, du = − sin xdx to get
Z Z Z
sin x 1
tan xdx = dx = − du
cos x u
= − ln |u| + C = − ln | cos x| + C

Since − ln | cos x| = ln(| cos x|−1 ) = ln(1/| cos x|) = ln | sec x|, the final answer can be
written alternatively as
Z
tan xdx = ln | sec x| + C
Definite Integrals and the Substitution Rule

I When evaluating a definite integral by substitution, we have two methods at our

disposition.
I One method is to evaluate the indefinite integral first and then use the
Fundamental Theorem.
I This method is demonstrated in the next slide.
Example
R4√
Evaluate 0 2x + 1dx.
Example
R4√
Evaluate 0 2x + 1dx.
Solution. We first evaluate this indefinite integral by using the substitution

u = 2x + 1, du = 2dx
du
hence dx = 2 . We have
√ √ du
Z Z Z
1
2x + 1dx = u = u 1/2 du
2 2
1 2u 3/2 1
= + C = (2x + 1)3/2 + C
2 3 3
Eventually by the Fundamental Theorem, we have
Z 4√ 4
1 1 26
2x + 1dx = (2x + 1)3/2 = (27 − 1) =
0 3 0 3 3
Changing the Limits of Integration

The second method and the one we normally prefer is changing the limits of integration
at the time the variable is changed. This method is expressed in the following rule.
The Substitution Rule for Definite Integrals
If g 0 is continuous on [a, b] and f is continuous on the range of u = g (x), then
Z b Z g (b)
f (g (x))g 0 (x)dx = f (u)du
a g (a)

We demonstrate this method in the next slide.

Example
R4√
Evaluate 0 2x + 1dx.
Example
R4√
Evaluate 0 2x + 1dx.
Solution. Let u = 2x + 1. Then dx = 21 du. To find the new limits of integration, we
evaluate u(x) = 2x + 1 at x = 0 and x = 4:

u(0) = 2(0) + 1 = 1, u(4) = 2(4) + 1 = 9

Therefore:
Z 4√ Z 9√
du
2x + 1dx = u
0 1 2
9
1 2 3/2
= · u
2 3 1
1 3/2
= (9 − 13/2 )
3
26
=
3
Example 9, p.417
Example
Re ln x
Evaluate 1 x dx.
Example 9, p.417

Example
Re ln x
Evaluate 1 x dx.
Solution. We use the substitution u = ln x. We have du = dx x . We also change the
limits of the integration as u(1) = ln 1 = 0 and u(e) = ln e = 1. Now we have:
Z e Z 1
ln x
dx = udu
1 x 0
1
u2
=
2 0
1
=
2
Exercise 8, p.418
Example
3
x 2 e x dx.
R
Evaluate the indefinite integral
Exercise 8, p.418

Example
3
x 2 e x dx.
R
Evaluate the indefinite integral
Solution. We use the substitution u = x 3 . We have du = 3x 2 dx and consequently
x 2 dx = du/3. Now we have
Z Z
3 1 u 1 1 3
x 2 e x dx = e du = e u + C = e x + C
3 3 3
Exercise 14, p.419
Example
y 2 (4 − y 3 )2/3 dy .
R
Evaluate the indefinite integral
Exercise 14, p.419

Example
y 2 (4 − y 3 )2/3 dy .
R
Evaluate the indefinite integral
Solution. We use the substitution

u = 4 − y 3, du = −3y 2 dy

so y 2 dy = −du
3 and we have

−1 2/3 −1 3 5/3 −1
Z Z
2 3 2/3
y (4 − y ) dy = u du = · u +C = (4 − y 3 )5/3 + C
3 3 5 5
Exercise 18, p.419
Example √
R sin( x)
Evaluate the indefinite integral √
x
dx.
Exercise 18, p.419

Example √
R sin( x)
Evaluate the indefinite integral √
x
dx.
Solution. We use the substitution
√ 1
u= x, du = √ dx
2 x
dx
so √
x
= 2du and we have
√
√
Z Z
sin( x)
√ dx = 2 sin(u)du = 2(− cos u) + C = −2 cos x + C
x
Exercise 21, p.419
Example
R (ln x)2
Evaluate the indefinite integral x dx.
Exercise 21, p.419

Example
R (ln x)2
Evaluate the indefinite integral x dx.
Solution. We use the substitution
dx
u = ln x, du =
x
so we have
(ln x)2
Z Z
1 1
dx = u 2 du = u 3 + C = (ln x)3 + C
x 3 3
Exercise 42, p.419
Example
R cos (ln t)
Evaluate the indefinite integral t dt.
Exercise 42, p.419

Example
R cos (ln t)
Evaluate the indefinite integral t dt.
Solution. We use the substitution
1
u = ln t, du = dt
t
so we have
Z Z
cos (ln t)
dt = cos udu = sin u + C = sin (ln t) + C
t
Exercise 56, p.419
Example
R3 dx
Evaluate the definite integral 0 5x+1 .
Exercise 56, p.419

Example
R3 dx
Evaluate the definite integral 0 5x+1 .
Solution. We use the substitution

u = 5x + 1, du = 5dx

so dx = du/5. We also change the limits of the integral as

u(0) = 5(0) + 1 = 1 and u(3) = 5(3) + 1 = 16

So we have
Z 3 Z 16 16
dx du 1 1 ln 16
= = ln |u| = (ln 16 − ln 1) =
0 5x + 1 1 5u 5 1 5 5
Exercise 59, p.419
Example
e 1/x
R2
Evaluate the definite integral 1 x2
dx.
Exercise 59, p.419

Example
e 1/x
R2
Evaluate the definite integral 1 x2
dx.
Solution. We use the substitution
dx
u = 1/x, du = −
x2
dx
so x2
= −du. We also change the limits of the integral as

u(1) = 1 and u(2) = 1/2

So we have
2 1/2
e 1/x
Z Z
1/2
dx = − e u du = −e u ]1 = −e 1/2 + e
1 x2 1
Exericse 67, p.419
Example
R2 √
Evaluate the definite integral 1 x x − 1dx.
Exericse 67, p.419

Example
R2 √
Evaluate the definite integral 1 x x − 1dx.
Solution. We use the substitution

u =x −1 du = dx

So x = u + 1. We also change the limits of the integral as u(1) = 0 and u(2) = 1. So

we have
1
√
Z 2 Z 1 Z 1
√ √ 2 2 16
x x − 1dx = (u + 1) udu = (u 3/2 + u)du = u 5/2 + u 3/2 =
1 0 0 5 3 0 15